The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1887-10-23
Smuggling women.

From the Boston Transcript
The Listener has friend who Is always
maintaining that women have nothing ut
all OF what he calls the public conscience
the sense Of civic responsibility and UNI
willingness TO commit the wrong which is
merely the 'malum prohibitum," and not
the thing that IN wrong in itself. mo
woman. he says, ''would hesitate 10 SNUG
gle or 10 violate the postal regulations as
often as possible. Have you any idea of
the number Of written messages which
women send in or upon newspapers under
one cent stamps. As free trader myself,
l have certain sympathy with smuggling,
provided II IL carried ON without down
right misrepresentation and lying. The
trouble is, that when one attempts 10 get
dutiable articles in without paying the
| duty ON them he muse lie n little, and we
cannot begin practicing to seceiye in this
matter without suffering certain moral
deterioration. There were two ladies who
came over from Europe on the last trip
which l made who actually loaded
the backs Of their dresses heavily.
with valuable cigaH which they
were bringing 10 male members of
their family. They found, after they had
prepared themselves, that they could not
they actually stood up in hack all the
way up town in New York, clinging dos-
pcrately 10 the sides of the carriage SO keep
themselves from falling. and pulling down
the curtains 10 avoid exposing their singu-
lar proceedings. This was to me an aston
ishing amount of zeal and trouble simply
in order 10 smugglc something, for The
male members OF the ladies family would
no doubt be- quite rs well Contentcd with
cigars of their own selection as with those
their female relatives might bring them
from Paris. ] really believe that there are
women who go abroad chiefly for the fun
and excitement Of smuggling something in
on their return"
An excellent lady who heard this dia-
tribe was very indignant, and declared that
she and her daughter had been abroad and
had positively smuggled nothing whatever
on their return.
"As for me, she said-shc belonged 10
the family OF gentleman noted for his
devotion TO proiyeiioaist principios-'1
] should assoon ilpnk OF stealing as Of
"But, mamma" said her daughter,
plaintiycly, didn't ypu know that had
twenty-five yards OF Irish linen at the bot
tom OF my trunk?H
mol said the mother in shocked dis
appointment"
"wcll, did. told the inspectors.
Here's my trunk opon; 90 for Il nowl' |
knew II ! did that way they wouldn't
really overhaul u And they didn't.
They paved over few innocent things ut
the top, and those twenty-five yards Of
precious linen, spread ont clear ut the bot
tom, slumbccd peacefully without as
much ~ u touch.
III had known that, !" said the mother,
stcrnly, 81 should have told the officers.
Which instinct shows that the SNUG
Cling instinct h hard thing 10 eradicate,
even in prolUCtionist families.
just ~ the listener had proceeded 10
rcbukc the spirit on the part oi his friend,
Which led 10 his assumption that there Is a
disposition ON the part II women in general
to cyadc the postal regulations, news
paper from the mail, wrapped and adj
dressed In feminine hand WIS brought
In for him. lie opened IL, and from the
midst Of Il there dropped pretty card Of
written adiCuX from couple Of ladies' who
wcrc just starting ON journey, and who
had. incidentally a. the transmission of a
newspaper which contained something
they wanted him 10 mad, sent this written
card with both their names signed upon H.
Aud yet no people in the world could be
mor scrupulously honorable than these
two ladies IN every relation oi life.
II II II true that women have much less
sense OF responsibility IN such matters, Il
h due. perhaps, 90 the iact that the bust.
ness contact of men with the world gives
them q habit NJ compliance with the use
iul public regulations which ar, after all.
but an adjunct 10 their business. when
woman writes ne s'Igr ON the margin
oi newspaper, ~ inclus q written card
in IT, folds, the chances Hrr that the postal
regulations never for I'm instant enter her
mind. She has not enough contact with
them Ia bring them very prominently into
her consciousness. \ man, however. has
occusIun 10 learn them, aud insiinciiycly
follows them.